Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi seal deal ending US troops

United States.- President Joe Biden met today with Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi of Iraq to strengthen bilateral coordination within the framework of the Strategic Framework Agreement, where they sealed an agreement that formally ends the US combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021.

Biden and Kadhimi met in the Oval Office Monday for their first face-to-face conversations as part of a strategic dialogue between the United States and Iraq , and discussed expanded initiatives on climate, energy, education and the fight against the COVID-pandemic 19.

Our role in Iraq will be … to be available, to continue training, assisting, assisting and dealing with ISIS as it arises, but we will not be, by the end of the year, in combat. mission, said Biden

There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq focused on countering the remnants of the Islamic State.

It is to be remembered that a US-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003 based on accusations that the Saddam Hussein government possessed weapons of mass destruction, The Guardian reported.

Saddam was ousted from power, but those weapons were never found. In recent years, the US mission has been dominated by helping defeat Isis militants in Iraq and Syria.

Likewise, the leaders committed to an ongoing security partnership to ensure ISIS never resurfaces and to allow communities reeling from terror to rebuild with dignity, even as the United States shifts to a purely advisory role.

They reaffirmed their respect for Iraqi democracy, the rule of law and the promotion of a safe environment for the upcoming Iraqi elections in October.